World Warzone II
by Pretzhog
Summary: On the quest to search of her family, a young Mallowolf gets more than what she has bargained for.  Spoilers for those who haven't read the first World Warzone!
1. Prologue

**WORLD WARZONE II: REBIRTH**

**(BY TOBIAS PRETZHOG)**

**AS TOLD BY KAYLA MALLOWOLF**

**Prologue – 12 Years Later**

_Locked in my room once again... I was known by my superiors for my knack of escaping the END base, and my last attempt didn't work out so well. No one's let down their guard either, Especially after Kain left... He never explained anything before he vanished, he just left without a word. Me having to analyze why, I assumed it was because daddy kept showing up less and less to visit us, leaving our superiors to babysit us. I admit that I've grown tired of it as well. But daddy kept saying how he was being sent around the world, searching for missing piñatas. He's been using that excuse for as long as I can remember, but he always comes back empty handed._

_Though when he _was_ back, Kain and I would eat up the time spent in his company. He would tell us plenty of stories, of his past, about the END, and his current adventures. Personally, I liked the stories about Tess... She would have been my mother if she was still around. Sometimes I let my mind wander whenever I glance at the picture of daddy and her. Making up stories of what life would be like if she was still around._

_Tess was also on the list of missing piñatas daddy was finding. He would always joke that Tess was 'still playing hide and seek.' Personally, the comment irked me a bit, but I'd laugh at it just to humor him. Though I wasn't always on the receiving end when unusual comments were in play. When I'd describe this reoccurring dream of mine to daddy, it would leave him near speechless. To be honest, the dreams scared me, but I didn't expect it to scare daddy as well._

_I'd rather not tread further on that subject. But if things didn't get strange enough, daddy would compliment me about how much I looked like my grandma, another piñata that wasn't able to be in my life. Everything from eye color to facial features... Though thinking about it now, Tess wasn't a mallowolf, and neither was daddy, or just to an extent really. Whenever I'd ask him who my mom actually was, he'd always bring up Tess. It didn't add up, I knew he was hiding something, and I didn't want to make myself obvious when asking. I would hope that one of these days he'd actually start making sense._

_I started to envy Kain a bit when we began growing up, seeing as he never had a strange background nor stranger dreams. However, like me, he also wasn't allowed outside without a full-body END armor suit and adult supervision. I guess being a porchipine had it's bad parts too, but it's definitely better than being a darkspawn... Yes, another thing to make matters more strange. And not only that, I was the near last of my kind. Apparently, if this adds up correctly, someone from the family tree must have been a darkspawn... The only one I could pin this to the closest was my grandma, Seeing as we were near lookalikes._

_Anyways, I've heard most stories about my Grandma from Will than I did from daddy. Will was practically my uncle seeing as he was best friends with daddy. Not only that, but Will took over lead CO for our END base after Phil resigned to see more of the world. Daddy says that our base has gone soft ever since Will became the leader. As for the other bases, they were still on high alert, keeping a sharp lookout for other darkspawns. ...It was another reason I wasn't able to go outside conveniently._

_However... Today was the day I was going to make my escape... I just have to wait until someone unlocks this damn door..._


	2. Chapter 1: The Bridge to Freedom

**Chapter 1: The Bridge to Freedom **

Time seemed to stand still as I waited out my punishment. All I had were my thoughts and dreams when I was stuck in here. At least in the hangar I was able to have fun by honing my skills with a diverse selection of weaponry and vehicles. It was pretty much the only option me and Kain had every day. Going outside was an incentive to us. And if we would try to go outside on our own, we'd be placed in our room and locked inside for an hour or more.

I couldn't believe Kain was actually lucky enough to slip by this time, and by himself too! Maybe it was one of the reasons we always got caught, we always worked together to break free. Without him, I couldn't really assemble a decent plan. It would be hard to make a successful escape without someone else to help with causing the distractions. But before my thoughts could start cooking up another plot, the door slid open, with Will emerging through. I found it surprising that I was almost starting to grow over the stunted cocoadile's height.

"Well I see someone was up to no good..." Will placed his stubby hands on his hips, keeping a straight face.

"I guess..." I shrugged, not wanting to fight about it.

"...Is this still about Kain?" The cocoadile lead me over to the bed and sat me down.

"Well he hasn't been back for around a month and no one's made an effort to find him!" Will knew how to get me worked up, but it wasn't to poke fun at me this time.

"Hey, hold on there. We've been doing our best, we can only spare so many piñatas at once to search for him." The cocoadile sat next to me, placing a consoling hand on my back.

"They're not doing enough, I at least might have a clue to where he might be!" I whined.

"Hmm... Well, I can't just let ya go out there, your father would kill me twice knowing that both of his kids are out there," Will explained.

"There's gotta be a way!" I begged, turning to fully face the stunted piñata.

"...Alright, but you're gonna do this by my rules," The cocoadile's eye's lit up a bit.

"...R-rules?" I didn't like the sound of that.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as you think," Will tried to assure me.

"...You sure? What are they?" I braced myself.

"First, I'm giving you twenty-four hours, exactly twenty-four hours, to find Kain. If you can't find him in time, I want your tail back at this base before the time is up," He kept his eyes on me.

"Twenty-four hours is all I get? How am I supposed to find Kain in just that small amount of time?"

"That's not what I'm saying, I'm giving you twenty-four hour sessions for your search... It's just in case your father shows up unexpectedly, I can say you're out for a few hours."

"...And how are you sure I just won't come back?" I snickered.

"Because... Well, your father wanted to save this for when you're older, but I believe you deserve an incentive," The cocoadile stood up and headed for the door, "come on, it's down In the hangar," his offer sounded fishy, but I went with it anyways. I avoided as many glances as possible as I followed Will down into the hangar.

The hangar was busy as always, piñatas were either loading up, fixing up or heading out. It still stumped me that Kain was able to sneak his way out here. We planned together to steal a G-C and drive it out of here, but we've been caught before we could even reach the lift. Missing or stolen vehicles are usually reported as soon as possible, that was the funny thing, there were no reports announced for any missing vehicle since Kain left. So he must have had another plan schemed up that I didn't hear about.

"Here we are," the cocoadile pulled out a small wooden crate.

"What's this?" I poked over his shoulder as he opened it.

" Multipurpose Wrist Modules!" The cocoadile placed the thin cover on the side.

"You mean M-W-M's?" My jaw dropped, I wanted one of my own for quite awhile.

"That too," he nodded as I gawked at all the MWM's in the box. They ranged from different lengths and sizes, it was going to take awhile to find one with the right fit. "Well what are you waiting for?" Will's voice pulled me back to reality.

"Oh, yeah..." I started digging into the pile, lining each MWM I grabbed up to my arm to compare. It took a few tries before I found one that I was completely satisfied with.

"Careful now, the first time you put that on, it's going to give ya a little sting," Will stopped me, giving me a fair warning.

"Alright..." I opened up the MWM, slowly bringing it up to my right arm. I winced as I slowly closed it shut. I felt the tiny jab of a needle before it sicked an electrical shock on me. Shrieking in pain, I fell over backwards, landing on my tail.

"Come on kiddo, you're alive," Will helped me back to my feet as my vision returned to me.

"Nnhh," I shook my headache away. "Why does it have to do that?" I felt the blood rush back into my arm.

"It's just registering you, that way if you take it off, no one else can use it themselves," The cocoadile explained.

"Is it gonna shock me again if I put it back on?" My eyes shown the fear in my mind.

"Haha, no Kayla, once is enough, I think we can both agree on that," he chuckled, patting me on the back.

"Good..." I rubbed the WMW, mistaking it as my arm.

"But if you _do_ take it off, we'll know and be coming after you like flies on dung, got that?" Will advised, not taking his eyes off me.

"Doesn't daddy have a W-M-W?" I asked, wondering if I'd have a chance at finding him through it.

"...Well he did, until he claimed it weight him down a few years ago... He stopped wearing it ever since," the cocoadile shook his head.

"Oh..." My eyes glanced at the floor, feeling awkward for asking. "...You think I could borrow it?" I resumed eye contact with the cocoadile.

"Sure... But would it change your mind if I said it wouldn't work unless Gus was here to turn it on?" Another mental stab in the stomach.

"I guess so..." I winced, wishing I wasn't so stupid for asking.

"Sorry Kayla, I really wish I could find your dad too..." Will put a sympathetic arm around my shoulders, "how about I treat ya to some apple juice? You know your dad loved that stuff..." The cocoadile began to ramble as he led me back to the lounge.


	3. Chapter 2: The Dark Ascent

**Chapter 2: The Dark Ascent**

"Will! I'm sure I'll be fine!" I yelled as I sat in the drivers seat of a fully armored G-C.

"Hey! Don't blame me for being cautious, I'm just doing what your father would have done in this position. You know he'd kill me if something terrible happened to you!" The cocoadile hung over the side window by his arms, his feet probably dangled in the air.

"And you can't blame me for wanting to see more of the world!" I argued back.

"I thought this was about finding Kain..." Will snickered, obviously poking fun at me.

"That too..." I rolled my eyes, "but I don't think I'll find him on my first try to be honest."

"By all means, have fun on your journey, but please... Be careful, if not for me, then for your father," the cocoadile pleaded.

"I'll try my best to have a fun trip _and_ be safe at the same time," I giggled, trying to fight back a smile.

"That'a girl," Will ruffled my hair up a bit before I could put my UV reflective helmet on, completing the rest of the END protection gear I already had on. "By the way, there's another UV reflective suit in the back if something happens to the one you have on now," the cocoadile reminded me.

"Okay, I'll make sure I don't break the one I'm wearing," I replied. These suits were pretty durable, you would have to take a really strong hit from either a fall or a bullet for it to even get a dent.

"Good, now remember, twenty-four hours on the spot. If you're not back, I'm sending a search team after you," Will pushed himself off, landing back onto the floor.

"I'll keep my eye on the time," I rolled up the window as I engaged the engine of the G-C. The whole vehicle shook as it started up, scaring me for a moment. I've went through the simulation many of times, but no amount of training could prepare me for that.

Using major caution, I propelled the G-C to towards the lift panel slowly. Once I boarded the elevator, I could feel the ground rising from below, something else the simulation couldn't train me for.

Darkness took over as the light from the hangar was soon cut off by the tunnel to the surface. I tried to fight the fear, but being in the dark alone stirred up the fright in my mind. Though thanks to quick thinking, I remember the simulation and flipped the interior lights on. A sigh of relief passed my lips as I lounged back in my seat, safe in my lighted little haven.

I was shook back into reality once the lift stopped and I realized I was finally graced with the great outdoors. However this occasion was different than the others, not because that I was alone... But because the white glare of the moon shined on my face. My eyes didn't need to adjust much to admire it for a few minutes.

It was when my WMW screamed with static that I knew I was wasting time. I glanced at the small screen of my module to see that Will was trying to contact me. Without thinking, I answered it.

"You know you can move out now Kayla," Will pointed out.

"Yeah... I was just distracted by the moon is all... I never seen the world at night before, only pictures and videos," I replied, returning my eyes at the glow of the moon.

"Heh heh... I understand," Will sounded like he could relate, "just don't dilly-dally too much up there, I'm keeping track of every minute."

"You should take a break to sleep too you know," I joked with him. Surprisingly, I got a laugh out of him.

"I can't afford to sleep, not with you out there. It's too much to worry about to get any sleep," the cocoadile replied seriously, "but if I _do_ fall asleep, I have other piñatas monitoring your time," he added.

"Maybe taking a break in general would help," I attempted to see if I could buy myself more time. Will laughed at my suggestion.

"The END never takes a break, you should know this Kayla," He stated sternly after his shortly lived hilarity.

"Ugh... Whatever," I groaned, throwing my head back.

"Just stay safe and come back on time, that's all I ask. Two simple, easy-to-follow, rules," Will summarized.

"Fine, fine, just give me another call when my time's almost up and I'll head back," I threw in the towel.

"Alright, you know I'm only giving you this crap because your father would do the same," the cocoadile's tone eased up a bit.

"I know, you're practically my uncle. If it was anyone else telling me this, I would have hung up minutes ago," I admitted, having a soft side for Will.

"Well I'm glad I'm not _anyone else_," he chuckled a bit, "anyways, I should let you head off into the world, I can't hold you back forever... I love you Kayla."

"I love you too Will," I felt that special father-daughter... Or uncle-niece moment well up in my heart. The communications soon clicked out, leaving me more empty than when I left. But I didn't let it get to me for long as I realized that freedom was surrounding me. I pressed down on the gas pedal and allowed the G-C to take me into the horizon.

I shifted around against the suit uncomfortably. My body couldn't stand sitting around in the armor for long and seeing as it was the dead hours of the night, I figured there would be no harm in stretching myself out by taking a brief walk around the grassy field.

Slowing the G-C to a halt, I turned the vehicle off and hopped out. Already feeling more unusual, I had to adjust my footing to the uneven ground below. As soon as I stabled myself on the grassy floor I wasted no time peeling away the armor. The helmet was the last to go, it felt as if I was entering a new world as the visor was lifted from my head.

I took a deep breath of the outdoor air and instantly I fell in love. dropping to the ground, I rested my back on the greenery, becoming intoxicated by the scent that tickled my nose. Rolling around in the grass, the leafy blades began to stir underneath my mache, forcing a giggle or two to escape my lips. Curious, I pulled a handful of grass from the soil below and had myself a taste test.

"Iiiick!" I blew a raspberry as flung the ball of grass away from my face. My distaste turned into a chain of laughter as I recognized what a stupid act I pulled. Taking a long sigh, I yanked a few more handfuls of grass blades only to throw them up into the air. Giggles escaped my smile as I watched them all flutter down on me.

"_Aaah_-_Aaah_-..._Choo_!" A few pieces of grass bushed against my snout, enticing a loud, messy sneeze out of me. "...Ewww," I wiped the mess off on my arm and from my arm onto the grass. Scooting away from the area, I parted myself a few feet away from the snot cover grass, not wanting to find myself rolling into a gooey mess.

My eyes came across a large patch of longer grass that was almost towering over me. Their height and groove to the light breeze provoked me to jump into them. Sprinting as fast as I could, I took a daring leap into the gathering of tall grass, losing myself in the mass. Rolling around a bit, I cleared out a little area for myself. I felt somewhat feral from the outdoor scenery, and to be honest, if felt rejuvenating. The thought gave me energy to burn.

Flipping over onto my back, I gazed up at the stars above. It was then my mind started to wonder. I couldn't help but imagine what kinds of life thrived beyond my planet. The sight had me in it's grip, the only thing that could yank me free was the task of finding Kain.

As I climbed up to my knees, I began to feel nauseous. The sickening sensation didn't show any signs of leaving soon. There was no strength to pull myself all the way up as I was stuck on my knees. And before I saw it coming, I found myself throwing up my dinner... Or at least what I thought it was at first.

In the midst of puking I tried to get a good glimpse at what was coming out, but as soon as the dark matter hit the grass, it began to dissolve. I couldn't keep my eyes open as the pain had me in it's grasp. In the chaos, I could only pray that this would end soon. Thankfully it did, but the experience left me more disoriented.

I tried feeling around the area where my bile would be at, but there was no such evidence that it existed. I came to the conclusion that this was probably just a wacky hallucination, and I never really did throw up at all. I scrambled my way out of the tall grass, blaming them for my fit of delirium. But being clear of the grass only made my delusions worse.

"_Ohh... Won't this headache go away_?" I desperately kept balanced as my paws rubbed my head. My world was spinning around as I found myself back on my tail. "_If I can get back to the G-C, I can at least pass out in there without the worry of dying in the morning sun_," the determination pushed me back up to my feet. It forced me to wobble, and eventually crawl on all four to the door.

"_Almost there..._" I groaned as I pulled myself onto the door and pried it open. The force sent me onto my tail again. "_Nnnh,_" no amount of grumbling could help my vision straighten out, but hell did it feel good to release the frustration. I mustered up all the strength I had to triumph over the short stairs. After struggling to close the door, I crawled all the way into the back to rest. It would be best to regain my strength and drive back home when I'm able.

But for now, all I could do was rest.


End file.
